Clothes drying rack



Jan. 30, 1962 A. GROO 3,018,899

CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed July 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.Azr/Juz L. 6200 ArmeA/E vs.

1962 A. L. GROO 3,018,899

CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed July 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

BY $4 241 I W1 Arrow/5Y5 3,018,899 Patented Jan. 30, 1962 fire 3,018,899CLOTHES DRYING RACK Arthur L. Groo, Northbrook, Ill., assignor toWelmard Products Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois FiledJuly 6, 1959, Ser. No. 825,133 7 Claims. (Cl. 211123) This inventionrelates to clothes drying racks and has to do more particularly with anovel portable clothes rack especially suitable for domestic use.

Clothes drying racks comprising, generally, a base, an uprightupstanding from the base and a bar or rod carried by the upright forreceiving and supporting clothes carried on clothes hangers have foundextensive use in the home. Such racks have been used for drying washedgarments indoors on rainy days; for holding washed garments which needno ironing, such as wash and wear clothes; for holding freshly ironedgarments; and for holding wet garments, such as rain coats, whiledraining water therefrom.

Prior clothes drying racks of the aforementioned type have not beenentirely satisfactory. Such racks have no means for catching andcollecting the water which drips from wet garments and, where such rackshave been used for holding clothes while draining water therefrom, ithas been customary to set the rack in a bath tub or other largereceptacle. This expedient is not always practicable where the washingis done at a distance from a bath tub, or where the use requires thetransportation of the receptacle.

Certain prior art racks are too large and heavy to be readily portableand are too large to be readily stored. Moreover, other prior devices aerelatively flimsy and will not satisfactorily hold a large number ofclothing items especially when they are wet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes drying rackwhich is light but strong, and which is readily portable and can beeasily collapsed for convenient storage.

Another object is to provide a clothes drying rack which is readilycollapsible but which when extended to operating condition is strong andrigid.

Still another object is to provide a clothes drying rack having meansfor catching and collecting any water which may drip from clothes hungon the rack and which means can be readily emptied.

Another object is to provide a clothes drying rack having watercollecting and catching means which is of simple construction, may bereadily installed in operative position and readily removed to empty thewater therefrom.

Still another object is to provide a clothes drying rack of thecharacter set forth which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture andis sturdy and durable.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the clothesdrying rack according to the present invention in open, operativeposition; with the preferred form of water collecting member assembledwith the rack;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the rack of FIG. 1 in collapsed andfolded condition, the Water collecting member being removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion ofthe rack;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the rack in open, extendedposition;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the rack;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the water collecting member shown inFIG. 1, such member being shown in the form which it assumes whenassembled on the rack as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second form of water collectingmember.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawing, the clothesdrying rack of the present invention includes a frame-like base 10 ofgenerally rectangular form having side members 11 and end members 12,the side members 11 being bent upwardly at their ends so that the endmembers 12 are displaced upwardly out of the plane of the side members11. The frame may be of any suitable construction but preferably isformed by a single tubular member having its ends suitably joinedtogether (as by welding) to form the rectangular frame construction asshown.

Upstanding from the frame-like base 10 is an upright 15 of generallyU-shaped form which upright is pivotally connected to the base 10 in amanner hereinafter more particularly described. The upright 15preferably is collapsible and to this end is formed by a pair of tubularmembers 16 which are adapted to receive the leg portion-s 17 of agenerally U-shaped member 18 as seen particularly in FIG. 1 of thedrawings. The U-shaped member 18 may be made either of tubular or rodstock and preferably is formed of tubular stock for lightness. The legs17 of the U-shaped member 18 are telescopingly received in the members16 and suitable means such as a spring-pressed detent 19 is provided ineach of the legs 17 of the U-shaped member 18 adapted to rest upon theupper end edges of the tubular member 16 to support the U-shaped member18 in its uppermost position. The upright structure may be collapsed bypressing in the spring-pressed detent 19 so that the U-shaped member 18may be moved downwardly in the tubular members 16 to a collapsedposition such as shown particularly in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

The upright 15 is, as above stated, pivotally connected to the base, thearrangement being such that the upright may be moved between a generallyupright position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and a collapsed position asshown in FIG. 2. The construction is such that when the upright is inits upright or extended position, it is inclined slightly from thevertical so that the upper cross bar portion 20 of the upright isvertically above the base well inwardly from the end of the base, andpreferably above approximately the middle of the base. The pivotarrangement is such that when the upright is in collapsed position, theupright lies in a plane almost parallel to the plane of the lowerportion of the base, as illustrated particularly in FIG. 2 of thedrawings. collapsed and folded as shown in FIG. 2, is of relativelycompact form and the rack can be readily stored in a closet or otherrelatively small space.

The pivot arrangement for the upright includes a hinge member 25 foreach of the tubular members 16, which hinge member is pivotallyconnected to the corresponding side portion of the base as by a pivotpin 26. The hinge member 25 is of generally U-shaped form and receivestherein the lower end of the corresponding tubular member 16 whichlatter member is secured in the hinge member preferably by a pair ofpins 27 although it may be secured therein as by welding.

A collapsible brace 30 is provided for maintaining the upright in itsupright position, which brace is foldable to permit the upright to bemoved into its collapsed or folded position. The brace 30 includes apair of strut members 31, 34 which are pivotally connected together asat 33 and each is pivotally connected as at 32 and 35 to thecorresponding tubular member 16 and the side member 11 of the bracerespectively. A detent 36 is provided on the strut member 31 which isadapted to be received in a recess 37 in the other strut member Thus therack when 34 for halting the extent of pivotal movement of the strutmembers 31 and 34 to thereby position the strut members 31, 34 inalignment and provide a rigid brace supporting the upright member 16 inits upright position. Thus it will be seen that the brace 30 holds theupright member 16 in its upright position when the brace is in itsstraight, extended position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 but may be foldedor collapsed to permit the upright 15 to be moved into its collapsedposition as shown in FIG. 2.

The rack, as above described and as illustrated particularly in FIGS. 4and 5 of the drawings, may be used in a manner similar to that in whichprior racks have been used. Thus the rack may be adjusted to its openedand extended position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. With the uprightextended, the cross bar 20 of the U-shaped member 18 is in position toreceive the hook portions of coat hangers with garments thereon and thussuspend the garments over the base. Owing to the fact that the base isof substantial size and the side members 11 are substantially spaced,the base provides a very stable support for the upright and since theupright extends upwardly from the base, and especially since it isinclined inwardly toward the center of the base, the upright issupported stably and in position and there is no possibility of the rackbeing overturned unintentionally. The U-shaped upright constructionprovides a light but very strong and stable support for the clothes hungfrom the cross bar 20 and therefore a substantial number of garments,either wet or dry, may be suspended from the cross bar without anydamage to the rack.

The present invention also provides means for catching and collectingany Water which may drip from clothes suspended from the cross bar suchas newly washed clothes hung on the rack for drying, or wash and wearclothes which are hung on the rack for drying without ironing.Preferably, there is provided a water catching and collecting member 40which preferably is formed of flexible material, such as a waterimpervious plastic, adapted to be engaged over the upturned ends of thebase as illustrated particularly in FIG. 1. The catching and collectingmember 40 is of generally rectangular construction and has at each end apocket-forming portion 43 which extends from the end edge of the mainportion of the member 40 and which pocket-forming portion is secured atits ends to the main portion of the member 40 along the lines 44 as bystitching or otherwise. Secured to the free edge of each portion 43 isan elastic member (not shown) which is of shorter length in its normalunextended position than the corresponding edge of the flange to whichit is secured and which thereby pulls in or puckers the end edge of thecorresponding flange but which permits the flange to be extended at itsedge to its full length by stretching the elastic member. Thisarrangement permits the flange to be engaged over the corresponding endportion of the base and because of the resiliency of the elastic memberto firmly retain the member 40 on the base but in such a manner as topermit the member 40 to be readily removed from the base.

When the member 40 is placed on the base as above described and as shownparticularly in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the member 40 takes a tray-likeform which is adapted to receive any liquid which drops from garmentssuspended from the upright and collects that liquid so that it can bedisposed of readily and does not wet the floor on which the rack isplaced. This tray-like form which the member 40 assumes when placed onthe base results from the fact that the end flanges are secured alongtheir end edges to the base portion of the main body or portion of themember 40 and thus provide pockets which receive the end members of thebase. Thus it will be seen from FIG. 1 that the base supports the endportion of the member 40 in such manner that the side margins of themember 40 form side walls 42 4 and the end margins of the member 40inwardly of the portion 43 form end walls 41 with the major portion ofthe member 40 forming a bottom.

An alternative form of water catching and collecting member isillustrated in FIG. 7 to which reference now is made. The member 50preferably takes the form of a tray having a bottom 51, side walls 52and end walls 53, the side and end walls upstanding generallyperpendicularly from the bottom 51. The tray may be formed of anysuitable water impervious material and, preferabiy, it is formed of aresilient flexible plastic having sufficient stiffness to retain itsshape. The tray 50 is of such size that as to its length and width it iscomparatively smaller than the inner dimensions of the base so that itmay be inserted in the base and readily removed therefrom, but at thesame time will not be dislodged to any substantial extent from a centerposition within the base 10 of the rack. The end walls 53 are of suchheight as to extend at least to the end members 12 of the base so thatthe member 54) will not be dislodged from the base in an endwisedirection, and can only be removed from the base either by lifting thetray 50 upwardly out of the base or by lifting the rack and thenremoving the tray 50.

I claim:

1. A clothes drying rack comprising a frame-like base of generallyrectangular form having a pair of generally parallel side memberslocated in the same plane and a pair of generally parallel andunobstructed end members connected to said side members and locatedabove the plane of said side members, a generally U-shaped uprightpivotally connected at the free ends of its arms to said base formovement between a folded position substantially in the plane of thebase and an upstanding position wherein the closed side of the uprightis above the base, and means for releasably retaining said upright inupstanding position.

2. A clothes drying rack comprising a base of generally rectangular formhaving a pair of generally parallel side members located in the sameplane and a pair of generally parallel and unobstructed end membersconnected to said side members and located above the plane of said sidemembers, an upright upstanding from said base and including a supportdisposed vertically over said base, and a water-collecting member, saidbase comprising means for maintaining said water-collecting member inposition under said support.

3. A clothes drying rack comprising a frame-like base having spacedportions of its periphery raised above the general plane of the base, anupright upstanding from said base and including a support disposedvertically over said base, and a water-collecting member formed fromwaterimpervious sheet material supported on said raised peripheralportions of said base.

4. A clothes drying rack comprising a frame-like base of generallyrectangular form having a first pair of opposite sides raised above thegeneral plane of the base, a generally U-shaped upright pivotallyconnected at the free ends of its arms to the second pair of sides formovement between a folded position substantially in the plane of thebase and a position upstanding from the base wherein the closed side ofthe upright is vertically above said base, and a water-collecting memberof flexible Water impervious sheet material having rectangular pocketportions disposed over said raised sides and supporting said watercollecting member in position on said base in position vertically belowsaid closed side.

5. A clothes drying rack comprising a frame-like base of generallyrectangular form having a pair of generally parallel side memberslocated in the same plane and a pair of generally parallel andunobstructed end members connected to said side members and locatedabove the plane of said side members, an upright upstanding from saidbase and including a support disposed vertically over said base and awater-collecting tray formed of rigid shaperetaining water-imperviousmaterial disposed in said base under said support, said tray beingdimensioned to be retained by said base in position under said support.

6. A clothes drying rack comprising a frame-like base of generallyrectangular form having a pair of generally parallel side memberslocated in the same plane and a pair of generally parallel andunobstructed end members connected to said side members and locatedabove the plane of said side members, a pair of elongate members eachpivotally secured at one end to said base in parallel positions formovement between positions generally in the plane of said base andpositions upstanding therefrom, a U-s'haped member having its legstelescoping respectively with said elongate members, means forreleasably retaining said U-shaped member in extended positionrelatively to said elongate members, and means for releasably retainingsaid elongate members in upstanding position.

7. A clothes drying rack comprising a frame-like base of generallyrectangular shape having its side portions in the same plane andinclined upwardly at their ends whereby the end portions are locatedabove the side portions, a rigid drip pan disposed within said base andmaintained against dislodgrnent at least in part by said end portions,and a generally U-shaped upright supported at the ends of its arms bysaid base in a position wherein the cross portion thereof is disposedover said drip pan.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.139,005 Adams Oct. 3, 1944 1,475,026 Olson Nov. 20, 1923 2,691,238Svatos Oct. 12, 1954 2,921,763 Miller Jan. 19, 1960

